Where to Find a Great Hamburger in Paris

For those of you who don’t live here, you’re probably scratching your heads as who in their right minds would want a hamburger in Paris. If you’re a visitor, you probably don’t come to Paris in search of a burger (unless you’ve got kids in tow). But Parisians, as well as the rest of us, often get the craving for a nice, juicy patty on a big, fluffy bun, and I’m happy to help in our quest to find the best of the lot.

Here’s a list of the places that were suggested by helpful readers in the comments of my post on the burgers at Hippopotamus. I was pretty bowled over with the choices out there and look forward to trying some, or all, of them out.

Please note that I haven’t been to all of these places (yet), and I can’t personally vouch for them.

Hence I’m trusting you guys on these…so they’d better be good! : )

UPDATE: Since I started this list, the number of places in Paris, including many cafés, now serve hamburgers. So in addition to this list, you’ll likely find many around town. Not all are great, but I’ve been adding to this list as I go and included reader suggestions.

Tropical Café 5, Place Parmentier, 92200 Neuilly-Sur-Seine (Near Porte Maillot) Tél: 01 47 45 15 55 (A French reader suggested this, and said I should look at the menu, which I did. Twenty four burgers! From the Curnonsky burger to a “cream” burger, which I’ll skip. But the rest sound good, and each is available as a beef or chicken burger.)

Hard Rock Café (I’ve never been into a Hard Rock Café, and am not sure I’m ready to start. But who knows? After all, I did go to l’Hippo…)

L’Envol Pub rue Lacépède (near place Monge) (Hmmm. I hope none of you are trying to send me on a wild goose chase. I couldn’t find anything about this place, either.)

Le Palmier de Lorette 19 Rue Châteaudun (9th) Tél: 01 48 78 34 41 (Christophe, the reader who recommended this place, noted how good the burger was, in spite of the “unusual” sauce.)

Indiana Burger Several locations in Paris. (I’ve walked by the one in my neighborhood a gazillion times but have never been tempted. Too many ‘taco salads’ in tortilla bowls on the tables. One reader wrote that it was one of the few places in Paris he got a decent gin and tonic, which to me, begs for cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off. Still a burger might not be a bad second choice.)

La Montagne 13, rue du Pot de Fer (5th) Tél: 01 43 36 61 52 Respectable burger with outstanding house-made French fries, cooked until deep-golden brown. My burger could have used a bit more salt but it was served juicy and almost rare.

Café Charlot 38, rue de Bretagne (3rd) A decidedly bobo café, which I was miffed about since they took over where a lovely old bread bakery was. But their redeeming quality is a very good (American) cheese burger with excellent, crisp thin-cut fries.

Hôtel Amour 8, rue Navarin (9th) Tél: 01 48 78 31 80 The burgers in this hip restaurant are quite good, and juicy! Edmond Fallot mustard shares the condiment shelf with Hellman’s mayonnaise and Heinz ketchup, and the fries are a good accompaniment. The outdoor terrace is packed during the warm months, so reserve.

Schwartz’s Deli 16, rue des Ecouffes (4th) Tél: 01 48 87 31 29 Trying to be a New York-style Jewish deli, most of the guests are eating the piled-high pastrami sandwiches or the burgers, made of good quality beef (rather than the usual frozen patties). The hamburger was enormous, and good, but the buns were standard. (This visit made me wonder why, in a city full of great bread, people use packaged supermarket rolls?) Decent fries.

If you’re in Paris, and looking for a good, honest beef and fries fix, I recommend le Relais de l’Entrecôte (20, rue St. Benoît). There’s no choices on the menu: just tell the no-nonsense serveuse how you want your meat cooked, and enjoy a leafy salad with walnuts while you await your slices of beef, which are served tableside with herbed butter sauce and some of the best frites in town. Seconds are offered, on the house. The profiteroles and vacherin are textbook examples of classic French pastries, and big enough to split. I always stick with the house red which, like most house wine at moderate restaurants, is well-matched to the cuisine.

It took me a year of living in Paris before I could bear to eat a bite of American cuisine — I wanted only traditional French!. And my intro to American food in Paris was at Le Coffee Parisien. Immediately I was a total convert — the best burger I have ever tasted, here or in the States. They take the notion of diner food, which I adore, and elevate it to an art.

Now I can’t wait to try out the other spots, too. This list could go on the expat Hall of Fame.

Rachael

August 29, 2008 8:35am

What, no veggie burgers? For shame! I would love to have a good veggie burger as I had some great ones at home in Aus and in London (and in Hanoi of all places) but couldn’t find anything in Paris. Any help, anyone? I’m desperate!

Please don’t go to Joe Allen, it is really not very good. I’ve tried several times and I’ll never go back. Bises.

Belle

August 30, 2008 2:01am

Is your friend Romain the same Romain as the chef at Le Relais Du Parc? The burgers @ Hard Rock are dry and tasteless (as is most of their food.) Good luck on your burger quest!

Katina

August 30, 2008 3:22pm

Dear David, I found your info. very helpful,thank you. I really wish I could come meet you and spend the day baking. I took two years of culinary arts in high school and wanted to fallow with going to France for more. But the true love story of girl meets boy and marries forgets her dreams of college over him. Doctors said I couldn’t have children so we kept trying fora while til 1 and 1/2 yrs til we did.

Now I have two beautiful girls and working on my second divorce. And still have the dream of Paris. The cool thing is so does my daughters. They love to bake with me. I collect bundt pans and love to make new recipes. I have to look for a job now and get a lawyer to free again to finally free. My heart is so broken right now all I do is cry. But this morning I saw you on the t.v. and you gave me a light that I needed. You should me that dreams can come true. and to keep blogging. I blog on my myspace cause its good therapy. Both of my parents are dying slow painful deaths in front of me and I can’t do anything to stop it. My dads had 5 stokes in 4 years. And mom has heart probs and lung cancer along bacteria in her stomach that’s had her sick for 4 months. sorry for all this drama. Well your just a new inspiration for me. I’m going to that kitchen and start baking my butt off again. Eclairs are my fav. too….. That’s what I made for my bridal shower. They were little mini’s, but I can’t share my recipe.

Christophe

September 3, 2008 6:09pm

Hi, David, I was in Paris last year and had the hamburger craving. I found L’Hippo OK, but IMO the best cheeseburger can be found at Le Palmier de Lorette, 19 Rue Châteaudun, in the 9th arr. It’s not a totally “American” burger experience as they use an unusual sauce (which I can’t remember the name of now), but I found it to be one of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten. I wish I had one right now – and I’m back in the states! Their website and menu – http://palmierdelorette.com/?page_id=3

Cheers, Christophe

jonah

September 5, 2008 12:03pm

The moose, Canadian place near Odeon.

lee

September 5, 2008 2:53pm

i loved joe allen! the bacon cheeseburger was delicious. breakfast in america i’ve been to about 9 times (they give you a card that they stamp and on the 10th time you go you get a free meal). don’t judge me – i was a study abroad student for a year!

Micki

September 6, 2008 11:21am

Super-nature, in the 9th, has really good burgers! (and everything else)

natalia

September 12, 2008 8:09am

ferdi’s near concorde, can’t believe they haven’t been mentioned… hands down the best around, and we’ve tested them all!!

dave

September 24, 2008 3:31pm

the best hamburger I’ve ever eaten was the one I had at Pub St. Germain a few years ago. Sadly I haven’t been back since and I can’t vouch for their burgers these days but if they’re as good now as they were then, they are sublime. A thick, juicy patty of meat with a bun just big enough to keep your fingers from getting greasy. Outstanding.

The best burger in Paris? Coco&Co. An english muffin topped with two delicious beef patties stuffed with a mélange of spices and pine nuts, then topped with cheddar cheese, a special sauce and a fried egg. Served with potatoes and salad. C’est DELICIEUX. I highly recommend.

Joe Allen for my money. The naysayer above says nothing to back it up their claim.

I’ve been in Paris for over 3 years now, and I come from New York where bar-burgers are taken very, very seriously. Joe Allen is my go-to place. PDG is OK. I found BIA rather unexciting. Floors is decent, but overwrought. Only Joe Allen has the perfect blend of quality bacon, cheese, char, and an interior bien saignant. The fries are good, but the pickles, my god. The closest I’ve found to a Bubbies pickle in France. Order an extra side of them.

Let me also put it this way: my old office wasn’t far from Joe Allen. After one visit for lunch with about a dozen French coworkers, they were hooked. Now that our office is across town, there are some nights, following after-work drinks, that upwards of 16 of them will make the trek down to Etienne Marcel JUST FOR THIS BURGER.

Lindsey

August 7, 2009 9:24am

I wanted to recommend the restaurant SuperNature on 12 rue Trevise in the 10th. It’s completely organic, with very healthy options and probably the juiciest and best burger I’ve ever had!

I am going to be in Paris on Christmas day with my husband and seven year old son. Any chance you can recommend a restaurant close to the Bastille Opera House that will be open for dinner? Thanks so much. Deirdre

The love burger at cafe Etienne Marcel. It has killed all other burgers for me. Fantastic chips and milkshakes, and the cocktails are strong! tad pricy for studenty me but so worth it.

Stacey

March 3, 2010 2:33am

The best burger I have tried in Paris is definitely at Café Crème (4 Rue Dupetit-Thouars 75003). They are served on a chopping board with really good fries. If you like Shake Shack burgers you’ll like these!

Jeff

March 9, 2010 12:34pm

Great burgers & wings at The Great Canadian, Quai des Grands Augustins. Wings are fantastic too.

I would recommend the hamburgers from the Monkey’s in Belleville. They are very inventive and use the ingredients from the asian neighbourhood plus the bread is made by a local boulanger. Very tasty!http://www.monkeysbar.com/pages/restaurant.html

Soumendu nandi

August 2, 2010 5:30pm

Well the best hamburger(actually what you americans call a cheeseburger) i had was in Charbon rouge.Pretty good malbec to go with it too.Its on rue Marbeuf in the 8th eme.

Eric

October 21, 2010 2:21pm

I did get to try the Cheeseburger of Charbon Rouge after reading this article— It is simply awesome!

Slicker

October 25, 2010 6:22pm

Still looking for a great burger in paris… Been living here about a year now.

I can say, in Versailles a place called ‘La Cantine’ has great burgers, I highly recommend it.

Not a big fan of Joe Allens.

Slicker

October 25, 2010 6:24pm

BIA is good for brunch, their burgers didnt look too good when I was there… but as far as brunch goes you get a lot for 15€ (compared to 20€+ at Joe allen and most others),

plenty of food and is rather good (diner good).

david r

January 4, 2011 1:22am

I think you should try the blue cheese burger at carré du pou volant, 55 rue de bretagne in the 3rd arrondissement . their burgers are fantastic . they also have more classic burgers like cheeseburgers and baconburgers for only 13,50 euros, not bad at all

Paddy Arnold

February 2, 2011 9:08am

The Lizard Lounge in the Marais is actually worth a mention too David. No danger of them being dry patties as they will cook it as you want it – saw a few people around me asking for bleu! Comes with nice roast potatoes and a salad for a tenner so worth checking out